Rick Shea, president of Shea Marketing, said he was “not overly impressed” by the new look, and told Starbucks officials to wake up and smell the overreach.

“I don’t think that dropping ‘Starbucks’ from the logo makes sense,” he said. “They overestimated the recall of their image.”

Even if existing customers revolt against Starbucks’ new look, the caffeine-charged debate makes the gamble worth it, according to branding guru Dean Crutchfield.

“It’s a bold move that many will be envious of — a stand-alone logo,” he said. “It’s a confident shift, Starbucks is saying ‘We ain’t just about coffee anymore.’ Just look at the buzz it’s already getting.”

Brand expert Dan Schawbel — managing partner of Millennial Branding — downplayed it all: “It’s not like they changed the mermaid to a polar bear. The change is noticeable but it’s not completely different.”